Tug attachment.



B. I. H. MITCHELL. TUG ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

WITNESSES STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRUTUS I. H. MITCHELL, OF ONAWA, IOWA.

TUG ATTACHMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .BnUTUs I. H. MITCH- ELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Onawa, in the county of Monona and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tug Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in tug attachments and is more particularly an improvement over my former Patent #739,502, issued Sept. 22, 1903, and my object is to provide means for attaching a tug section having an eye therein to receive the usual form of swingletree, to the cockeye of a. tug, thus simplifying the construction and reducing the cost of making them.

A further object is to provide means for locking the cockeye into engagement with the tug section to prevent the cockeye and parts to which it is secured from rattling when attached together, and thus adapting the trace for all rigs and for all uses.

A further object is to provide means for holding the parts when locked together against casual disengagement, and at the same time rendering my improved attachment useful for all possible situations and purposes.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is a detail elevation showing the manner of attaching the cockeye of a tug to the tug section, and, Fig. 2 is a sectional view as seen on line 22 Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a tug, such as is commonly used in connection with work harnesses and to the end of said tug is attached the usual form of cockeye 2, or if preferred, a trace chain having a cockeye construction at the end thereof may be substituted for the tug.

In order to readily adapt the end of the tug for connection with the usual form of swingle tree used upon a light vehicle, I provide a tug section 3, which is preferably constructed of leather and the sections of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Serial No. 553,887.

leather stitched together, one end of the tug sections having the usual form of eye 4 therethrough to receive the end of the swingle tree.

Introduced between the stitching employed for holding the parts of the tug section together is a shank 5 of a keeper 6, said shank being attached to the tug section by introducing rivets 7 through the tug section and the interposed shank. One face of the keeper (3 is provided with a channel 8, in which the cockeye is adapted to be seated, the depth of the channel being such as to bring the face of the cockeye flush with the outer face of the keeper, the portion of the keeper surrounded by the channel projecting through the opening in the cockeye.

In order to hold the cockeye seated in the channel and at the same time prevent rattling thereof, a latch 9 is pivoted to the keeper 6 and is of such general outline as to cover the face of the keeper when in its closed position and in order to hold the latch in juxtaposition to the face of the keeper, a stud 10 is attached to that portion of the keeper projecting through the opening in the cockeye, the free end of the stud being provided with a head 11, which projects over and engages the outer face of the latch 9, when the latch is moved to position over the keeper.

Extending inwardly from one edge of the latch 9 is a slot 12, into which the stud 10 extends when the latch is in its closed position, the curvature of the slot being coincident to the arc of movement of the latch.

In order to prevent the latch from casual disengagement from the stud 10, a washer or the like 13 is attached to the latch 9 in any suitable manner, as by means of a rivet 14, one portion of the periphery of the washer having an extension 15 thereon, which projects into the path of the head 11 of the stud and by providing a curved face 16 beneath the extension, the head 11 will pass below the extension, when pressure is applied to the latch. The washer is preferably constructed of yielding material, such as leather or the like, thus permitting the extension to move upwardly to pass over the head 11, but the rigidity of the washer will be such as to normally hold the latch against lateral swinging movement.

The latches 9 are made in rights and lofts, so said latches will always swing downwardly when properly applied to the tug and for this reason, each keeper 6 is provided on opposite edges with openings 17 to receive the pivot pins 18, thus adapting each keeper for the reception of a right or left latch. I

In attaching the cockeye to the keeper, the latch 9 is swung from over the keeper and the cockeye introduced into the channel 8, when the latch 9 is swung to position over the keeper and the stud 10 entered in the slot 12 in the latch and as the washer passes beyond the head of the stud, the latch will be held against casual disengagement from the stud. To facilitate the operation of the latch 9, a pin 19 may be attached to the latch, by means of which pressure may be more readily applied to swing the latch on its pivot.

It will thus be seen that I have provided means for quickly attaching tug sections to the ends of trace sections when it is desired to use the tugs in connection with a buggy swingle tree or the like and it will further be seen that the tug sections can be quickly engaged with or disengaged from the cockeyes. It will further be seen that the latch, when properly applied, will securely hold the tug section in engagement with the cockeye and that said cockeye will be held against rattling when seated within the keeper and it will likewise be seen that by providing the washer and placing the same in position to engage the stud 0n the keeper, the latch will be held against casual disengagement from the stud.

iVhat I claim is 1. The combination with a tug having a cockeye at one end thereof, of a tug section, a keeper attached to said tug section, said keeper having a channel therein to receive parts of the cockeye, a stud on said keeper, said stud having a head, a latch pivoted to said keeper adapted to be moved over the cockeye, said latch having a slot to receive said stud and means carried by the latch adapted to engage the head of the stud to prevent casual swinging movement of the latch.

2. The combination with a trace having a cockeye attached to one end thereof, of a tug section, a keeper attached to said tug section, said keeper having a channel to receive parts of the cockeye, the depth of said channel being coincident to the thickness of the cockeye, a stud carried by the keeper having a head at its free end, a latch pivoted to said keeper and adapted to be moved over one face thereof, said latch having a slot adapted to receive said stud and a washer carried by the latch adapted to engage the head of the stud and hold the latch against casual swinging movement.

3. The combination with a trace having a cockeye attached thereto, of a tug section having an eye therein, a keeper having a shank, means to attach the shank to the tug section, said keeper having a channel in one face adapted to receive parts of the cockeye, a stud extending from the face of the keeper having the channel there in, said stud having a head at its free end, a latch pivoted to said keeper and adapted to be swung over the face thereof having the channel, said latch having a slot thereln to receive the stud, and a washer fixed to the latch and having an extension thereon adapted to engage the head of the stud to prevent casual swinging movement of the latch, said extension having a curved lower face.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BRUTUS I. H. MITCHELL.

iVitnesses:

LEW C. HARRIS, M. H. URNDE. 

